Red wine preventing cavities?

We’ve heard that red wine helps prevent Alzheimer’s, reduce heart attack risk in women, and even prevent diabetes, but now a new study from the American Chemical Society says that red wine may help to prevent dental cavities. But how?

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, took a deeper look into research that says polyphenols, grape seed extract and red wine can potentially prevent the development of the bacteria that causes cavities.

According to the researchers, cavities are formed when multiple bacteria combine in the mouth to create a biofilm, known as a bacteria community that is hard to get rid of. These biofilms then produce plaque and acid that harm the teeth.

The study team put the research to the test by creating cultures of the cavity-causing bacteria in the form of a biofilm, testing them with red wine, red wine with grape seed extract, water with ethanol and non-alcoholic red wine.

Lead researcher, M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and team found that the red wine with the alcohol and that without, along with the grape seed extract wine proved to break down and clear the bacteria most successfully.

Researchers acknowledge there are several ways to kill bacteria, but not all are effective, such as brushing and rinses. They hope that the study will allow for the development of all-natural products to stave off dental issues and cavities with minimal side effects.